Indian crew grounded over midair Bollywood concert

The voice of Bollywood singer Sonu Nigam landed five airline staff in hot water after he performed mid-flight [Paul Jeffers/AP]

India's Jet Airways has grounded five crew members for allowing a Bollywood singer to perform over the in-flight announcement system, an airline said on Friday, prompting a social media backlash against the decision.

The temporary suspension of the female crew comes after a video showing singer Sonu Nigam's impromptu performance last month went viral.

"All cabin crew on the flight have been taken off from flight duty for inquiry and corrective training to reinforce strict adherence to operating procedures," Jet Airways said in a statement.

The video showed the celebrity singing chart-topping Bollywood songs, with other passengers joining in on a chartered flight from the western city of Jodhpur to Mumbai on January 4.

Following its probe, government officials asked the airline to take action against the cabin crew for violating regulations and misusing the in-flight announcement system.

The crew's suspension was trending in India on Friday, with Twitter users lashing out at the authorities for suspending the crew.

"Never knew Sonu Nigam would be such a bad music to ears of Jet Airways. Suspending 5 lovely ladies for good sense of music ... Seriously??" user Yashwant Deshmukh tweeted.

However, others supported the carrier's decision, saying such actions could jeopardise flight safety.